1 hour ago
1
After a five-year delay, NSW’s multibillion-dollar fleet of new Mariyung trains will start carrying passengers on the South Coast rail line between Kiama and Sydney from next Tuesday, raising commuters’ hopes of more reliable and frequent services.
The new intercity fleet will be progressively rolled out on the line over the next year, starting with seven trains of four and six carriages, before longer eight and 10-car sets enter service during peak periods.
All 16 new trains to eventually be used on the line will terminate at Sydney’s Central Station – like those used on the Blue Mountains and Newcastle lines – partly because 10-carriage trains are too long to stop at platforms on the underground line between Redfern and Bondi Junction. The longest Mariyung trains also cannot be turned around at Bondi Junction.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the new intercity trains would initially operate only during off-peak periods as part of a staged approach to rolling out the new fleet.
“We’re confident that we’re ready for passengers next week, but this will allow us to ensure that we can operate that train reliably … before we move into the longer trains operating on peak services later this year,” he said.
He expects the rollout of the entire Mariyung fleet to be completed on the intercity network by early to mid next year. The new trains will allow the existing Oscar trains used on the South Coast line to be shifted to Sydney’s suburban lines after undergoing refurbishments.
Longland said a major timetable change in October or November was designed to “detangle” the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line from South Coast line services as trains approached the inner city, resulting in them running on separate tracks, and boosting capacity and reliability.
As part of the timetable changes late this year, Mariyung trains will also no longer stop at Wolli Creek station in Sydney’s south, which will mean passengers have to switch at Hurstville if they want to get to Kingsford Smith Airport.
Transport Minister John Graham said the new intercity fleet would deliver a new level of comfort, safety and convenience for people who often spent long hours on trains as part of their commute.
“The introduction of the Mariyungs will allow us to increase services from Wollongong to every 15 minutes in the peak and every 30 minutes in the off-peak and weekends later this year,” he said.
At present, trains between Wollongong and Sydney run every 20 minutes during the peak.
Last October, a report by the NSW Audit Office found that “foreseeable changes” to the operating model for the state’s new intercity trains, which caused years-long delays and sparked industrial action, added $1 billion to the cost of the fleet, which is forecast to hit $4.5 billion.
Longland said it had been a long wait for South Coast commuters, but he was confident the new Mariyung trains would improve the reliability of services on the line.
The first Mariyung train on the South Coast line will leave Kiama at 7.56am next Tuesday and is due to arrive at Central Station at 10.02am.
The new intercity trains went into service on the Newcastle and Central Coast line in late 2024, followed by the Blue Mountains line last October. Their arrival has resulted in the retirement of decades-old V-set trains, which were known for their distinctive bush-plum coloured seats.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
